October 16, 2005 - New President, Steering Committee Members Announced

TPF president Bill Odom said "I'm very pleased with the results of these elections. We're fortunate to have such capable people willing to volunteer their time and talents for the Perl community, and I'm looking forward to working with all of them."

Kirsten Jones may be a new name to many, but brings a wealth of experience to her role as the webmaster of perlfoundation.org. A self-described "serial volunteer," she's lent her considerable skills and energy to a variety of organizations over the past few years.

New public relations coordinator Andy Lester, while new to TPF, is no stranger to the Perl community. He's well-known as an outspoken, steadfast advocate of Perl, and is definitely the right person to provide "Public Relations the Perl way" -- honest, forthright, and useful information, as the community rightly demands.

Long-time TPF member Jim Brandt is stepping into the role of Conferences Committee chair. He assembled and managed the incredible team that hosted the very successful YAPC::NA in Buffalo in 2004, and has used that experience to help others organize subsequent conferences.

The Grants Commmittee will be led by Curtis "Ovid" Poe, who has already distinguished himself as a grant manager for TPF. His experience and dedication, most recently with the Google Summer of Code / Perl Foundation grant recipients, has shown how valuable Curtis is to TPF.

There are also big changes in the Steering Committee that does the day-to-day work of TPF. Four new members have been elected.

Bill started working with TPF at OSCON in 2004 when he organized the exhibit hall booth and took charge of the auction. Soon after, he was elected to chair the Steering Committee.

Allison Randal, president since 2002, is stepping aside to take a more active role in Perl 6 and Parrot development. "I endorse Bill wholeheartedly," she said. "Bill is calm in a crisis, follows through on what he starts, and inspires others to do great work. I can't think of anyone better suited to lead TPF through our next steps of growth."

Bill Odom has been appointed president of The Perl Foundation, and four new members have been elected to its Steering Committee, the Perl Foundation announced today.